Chapter 3: Star and Story for Big Round Post

Next morning, everybody wake up to watch sunrise—except Boss Nuhu, wey no gree wake no matter as dem call am. The rest dey joke say na why e dey sleep like that. Aunty Fadeke talk say heaven dey fair—if you dey sleep well, you go lose for another side.

Sunrise for Baobab Rock na blessing—sky go red, bird go dey sing, bush go dey quiet like shrine. But na so Boss Nuhu dey snore, dey miss all the beauty.

People ask, lose for where?

One man shout, "Madam, abeg, which side you dey talk?" Laughter burst again. Everybody dey shine teeth, dey use joke chase cold from body.

Aunty Fadeke laugh, “The better you sleep, the worse you dey for that other side.”

Her laugh get style—na laughter wey dey carry old wisdom. For Naija, proverb na arrow, if you sabi throw am well, e dey land for belle.

The men catch the joke, the women just bone.

Men dey shout, women just dey form face. But inside their eye, you go see say dem dey catch the sub, dem just no wan show.

Aunty Fadeke add, “No believe? Try am if you get chance.”

Na challenge be that—everybody dey reason am, dey try decode the meaning. Na so bush talk dey be.

Zainab and Mimi just wave hand, surrender. Ngozi talk, “Who wan try am? See as e fat, e dey somehow.”

Everybody burst laugh—Ngozi don catch their mouth. She dey form small, but e clear say she get sharp tongue too.

My head dey turn. The image of Ngozi with stockings, open tent dey kiss Boss Nuhu still dey my mind, but now she dey form holy.

For my chest, I dey laugh—this life na film trick. Person fit dey act for day, dey live another life for night. Na so e be.

Today journey go long—na the longest day for the trek. We go cross Okuta Mountain, where Baobab Rock dey, then five kilometers of old forest, then river wey dey rush, waterfall, then finally Palm Grove Valley, where we go camp for night.

Everybody dey arrange load, dey shine face, but for their mind, dem dey fear. For bush, once you hear river, you go know say na long trek dey front.

Even for us wey sabi the place, e go take at least five hours. With eight people, men and women, plus Boss Nuhu wey big, e go take double.

My cousin dey always talk say, "If you dey waka with city people, just add two hours for every kilometer." Na so e be, because gist and rest dey slow waka.

So even if we reach Palm Grove Valley today, na night go meet us.

Night for bush no dey play—once darkness land, everywhere go quiet, animal go begin move. Na why guide dey always dey calculate.

Ten hours waka for bush—who go still get power to buy one thousand naira condom? I dey wonder why my cousin arrange the route like this.

I dey reason am for head—maybe e get plan. E sabi say if people tire, nobody go get strength for romance. Business go slow.

Boss Nuhu pack last last, no chop breakfast, dey rush catch up, dey complain say nobody wake am.

E dey grumble, dey shout, "Una wan leave me?" But e still dey happy—na good sleep dey sweet man after work.

Aunty Fadeke reply, “To dey sleep well na blessing. You no get wahala.”

Her voice dey loud, everybody hear. For bush, na people like her dey ginger group, dey make sure say nobody dull.

Everybody laugh, Boss Nuhu join laugh.

Laughter na medicine for stress. Even though journey long, na small joke dey help people forget pain.

I waka for back, dey look Aunty Fadeke and Boss Nuhu, wey dey waka together, dey close. To be honest, I think say dem be couple.

The way dem dey talk, e be like say dem sabi each other before. For bush, na only body language fit tell true story.

By noon, I notice wahala.

My eye dey sharp—when journey dey slow, na guide go first know. If people dey stop every ten minutes, wahala dey front.

Four hours pass, we never reach one-tenth of the journey.

Na small small step everybody dey take, like say we dey waka for hot sand. People dey complain for low voice.

My cousin dey form say e no sabi the road, dey stop every small time make people rest, snap picture, chop gala.

E dey act like tourist. Every flower na photo, every stone na memory. I just dey watch, dey suspect e get plan.

If we continue like this, we no go reach Palm Grove Valley even by tomorrow night.

My mind dey calculate—time dey go, sun dey set. For bush, if night catch you for wrong side, you go beg mosquito for mercy.

For lunch, I call my cousin one side, tell am.

I try talk soft—no wan make guest hear. I dey respect him position, but I dey worry for safety.

But e no send. E just tell me make I dey follow as e do, no ask question.

E dey like say e know something wey I no know. For this work, sometimes silence dey speak pass talk.

I no understand. I dey chop agege bread, dey draw for ground. At this rate, we go just leave Okuta Mountain by evening, reach edge of old forest—bush full everywhere, wild animal, maybe snake or wild beast.

I dey see bush wey nobody fit cross for night. My mind dey run—if wahala burst, na guide dem go blame.

But as I see my cousin dey smile, dey do everything to make those eight people happy, I just feel say I no dey his level. I no sabi how to handle guest, how to make dem happy, or make dem spend money.

I dey humble—e get skill wey I never learn. For bush, na who fit make guest laugh dey win customer.

Afternoon waka be like morning own, just small faster. We manage cross Okuta Mountain before sun set. The forest ahead be like green sea—everybody shout for the beauty.

One man shout, "Na here film people dey shoot?" Women dey snap picture, some dey pluck leaf say dem go keep as memory. For their mind, na heaven dem don enter.

My cousin point front. “We no fit reach Palm Grove Valley today. To waka for night dey dangerous. We go camp for there tonight.”

Na so e talk am like chief. Everybody dey nod—nobody wan waka for dark. Safety first, enjoyment next.

I look where e point, I come realize say na plan e get since.

I dey respect the game. E get why e dey slow us—maybe business dey for that place.

The Big Round Post—na one round rock wey just stand like pillar for foot of Okuta Mountain.

Everybody for area sabi am. Na old hunters go carve name for the side. Story dey say if you shout for Big Round Post, your echo fit call spirit come.

Dem dey call am Big Round Post because e be like giant wood wey dem cut head, just stand for ground, cliff surround am.

The rock na mystery—people dey fear to climb am for night, but na only brave go try.

“E go hard to climb. How we go reach top?” Boss Nuhu dey look him belle dey talk.

E dey rub hand for stomach, dey check if ladder go carry am. I dey laugh for mind.

My cousin answer, “Na just ten meters high. I bring rope ladder. The top flat, you fit pitch tent. Normally I no dey bring tourist here because the night sky fine reach, nobody wan sleep.”

E dey sell am—na so real guide dey do. You go make danger sound sweet.

“Na star? True?” Ngozi just happy. “Plenty star dey?”

She dey shine eye—artist like her, star go sweet her pass anything.

“Yesterday na cloud. Tonight clear, star go full everywhere. For city, you no go even need lantern. Main reason na safety—wolves, snake, plenty insect dey for bush. To camp for ground dey hard.”

People dey reason—nobody wan make snake crawl enter tent. Bush story dey humble everybody.

“I wan go,” Ngozi talk sharp.

She no dey fear—adventure dey her eye. For city, she fit quiet, but for bush, she dey different.

Other three women follow talk say dem wan try, men gree.

Nobody wan carry last. For bush, na group spirit dey push everybody.

From mountain, Big Round Post be like mooncake—no too big. But I sabi say the top get circle space, almost thirty meters wide—few tent no go even fill am.

If you see am from far, you go think say na shrine. But once you climb, na home for star.

Main thing be say, once you climb up, to come down no easy.

Na only strong fit do am. For bush, once you go up, you go plan how you go land.

As we dey go down, my cousin look the nylon bag again.

E dey count supply—e dey calculate how many people go buy joy for night.